Tootsie (AFI Top 100)

Tootsie (AFI Top 100)
As I scanned the list of the AFI Top 100 films and my eyes glazed over Tootsie I knew I had to watch it. On top of hearing about it as a great comedy and observing that it was one of the only comedies on the list, I had just heard it mentioned on a Parks and Rec episode that I watched so I figured it had to be a pretty good movie. I was not sure what to expect from the movie other than that it was a comedy, but I was pleasantly surprised as the movie was able to hold my attention from start to finish. The storyline of the movie itself was hilarious, and Dustin Hoffmans acting as Dorothy Michaels was outstanding, I have no idea how he and everyone else in the movie managed to get through every scene without cracking up. Aside from Tootsie being hilarious, I was surprised to find that it actually did give off a message, unlike most of todays comedies. A strong female character was portrayed by Dustin Hoffman, and despite the irony of him actually being a man, he was able to teach females in the movie to stand up for themselves and stop letting men walk all over them. This movie came out in 1982, a time where many people still thought of women as weak and less important than men. Since this movie is a comedy, one might not expect it to actually have a message, but it did, and the way the it was delivered in such a funny way helped me to enjoy the movie without feeling like the message was being crammed down my throat. I really enjoyed this movie, not only for the great plot, the hilarious irony and the fantastic acting, but also because it is a comedy that showed the idea that women do not have to let themselves be treated awful by men simply because they are supposed to be quiet and 'weak'. Overall I would give this movie an 8.5 out of 10.